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Marine museum offers 'preview'

The Red Wing Marine Museum will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday for an open house. Developer Mike Wilson said he plans to open the museum permanently in the spring. (Republican Eagle photos by Tim Alms)1 / 2

Wilson said the building on Levee Road needed extensive renovations before it could host the museum. 2 / 2

The public will have an opportunity to get a look at the new Red Wing Marine Museum this weekend.

There will be an open house at the museum, located at 935 Levee Road, from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday Oct. 13.

Developer Mike Wilson said the museum will not officially open until spring, and there is still work to do on the building and exhibits. But some of the pieces, such as boat motors, artifacts and photographs, will be on display during the sneak peek, which is free.

“People will get the chance to get a preview of what’s to come,” Wilson said.

He said he wanted the public to be able to see the floor as well, which includes a mural of the Mississippi River by Art Kenyon. Wilson timed the open house to coincide with the Red Wing Arts Association

Fall Festival of the Arts this Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s rather unique, and with the art fair this weekend we thought we’d open it up,” Wilson said.

The public also can get a look at the extensive renovations needed to make the former Red Wing Waterworks building into the marine museum.

“It’s been a long process,” Wilson said, including custom-made windows, work on the floor and stone and more.

The construction and renovations also could only be done as funds were raised, he added, and the museum is still in the process of raising money to complete the building work.

But Wilson said he was prepared when construction started months ago.

“We knew what we were getting into,” Wilson said.

Wilson said he is confident the building and exhibits will be ready by spring 2014, and he said there will be a grand opening then.

Danielle Killey covers local government for the South Washington County Bulletin. She has worked as a reporter for other Forum Communications newspapers since 2011. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a journalism degree.